Tenant Hardship Loan Fund: FOI release

Information requested

How much  has the Scottish Government spent on operating and administering the Tenant Hardship Loan Fund.

Can this information be broken down as follows:

• total costs to date
• average cost to date per application received
• the average cost of the credit checks undertaken to date
• the average cost of the affordability checks undertaken to date
• total cost of finance obtained which has been provided as loans
• forecast costs of operating and administering the fund for its lifetime
• the forecast per application
• forecast cost of the £10m finance it will obtain

Can you provide detail of how the costs of administration and operation will be met.

Response

The Tenant Hardship Loan Fund is administered on our behalf via a variation of an existing contract with Energy Savings Trust (EST). By using this route-way we were able to introduce this support strand quickly, to offer maximum support to renters who were struggling to pay their rent because of Covid-19.

• total costs to date average
• cost to date per application received

This information is commercial-in-confidence and is exempt under Section 33 of the Freedom of Information (Scotland) Act 2002. The variation forms part of a larger contract, details of which can be found on the Scottish Government’s Contracts web-site:

https://www.publiccontractsscotland.gov.uk/search/show/search_view.aspx?ID=JUN356110

• the average cost of the credit checks undertaken to date

The cost of credit checks is included within the contract variation, thus the Scottish Government does not hold this information.

• total cost of finance obtained which has been provided as loans

As at 3 August 2021 the Tenant Hardship Loan Fund has awarded £558,295.63 in loan funding.

• forecast costs of operating and administering the fund for its lifetime
• the forecast per application
• forecast cost of the £10m finance it will obtain

The Tenant Hardship Loan Fund is regularly reviewed to ensure it remains an appropriate and necessary support measure in response to the pandemic. Because we do not as yet know when this support might be withdrawn it is not possible to offer forecast costs. The Scottish Government thus does not hold this information.

• Please also detail how the costs of administration and operation will be met

The costs of administration and operation of the Tenant Hardship Loan Fund are met from the budget of the Housing and Social Justice Directorate within the Scottish Government.

About FOI

The Scottish Government is committed to publishing all information released in response to Freedom of Information requests. View all FOI responses at http://www.gov.scot/foi-responses.